Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A game comprises a checkerboard playing surface with three defined regions, namely, a central region and two starting regions, one on each side of the central region. Each starting region consists of three rows containing three, five and seven playing squares, respectively, the rows increasing in length inwardly of the board. The central region consists of five rows, the three central rows having eleven squares and each outer row having nine squares. Groups of objects, one for each player, are disposed in their respective starting regions completely filling the squares thereof. The objects include identifiable sub-groups and a unique object, all of which may be moved across the playing surface in prescribed ways according to the rules of the game and for the purpose of moving the unique object from its starting region to the starting region of the opponent.

ljnited States Patent [191 Nelson BOARD GAME APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Charles R. Nelson, 6925 Oak Lawn Court, Oak Lawn, 111. 60455 [22] Filed: Ap. 12, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 133,222

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,189,511 3/1959 France ..273/13l KP 1,417,861 10/1965 France ..273/13l AB France "273/131 K [4 1 May 1,1973

Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney-Olson, Trexler, Wolters & Bushnell [57] ABSTRACT A game comprises a checkerboard playing surface with three defined regions, namely, a central region and two starting regions, one on each side of the central region. Each starting region consists of three rows containing three, five and seven playing squares, respectively, the rows increasing in length inwardly of the board. The central region consists of five rows, the three central rows having eleven squares and each outer row having nine squares. Groups of objects, one for each player, are disposed in their respective starting regions completely filling the squares thereof. The objects include identifiable sub-groups and a unique object, all of which may be moved across the playing surface in prescribed ways according to the rules of the game and for the purpose of moving the unique object from its starting region to the starting region of the opponent.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures BOARD GAME APPARATUS This invention relates to a game of the type that includes a gameboard with objects or pieces movable over the playing surface thereof.

A purpose of the present invention is to provide a game that is relatively inexpensive to produce and yet is interesting and challenging to play.

A more specific purpose of the invention is to provide a game that includes a gameboard or playing surface of novel configuration and which utilizes groups of objects in a unique manner as determined by the rules of the game.

In accordance with the foregoing the game comprises a checkerboard playing surface with three defined regions, namely a central region and two starting regions, one on each side of the central region. The starting regions are each of progressively increasing width from an edge of the playing surface toward the border or divider between the starting region and the central region. The central region is preferably larger than each of the two starting regions and includes rows that are longer than the rows of the central region. Groups of objects or pieces, one for each player, are disposed in their respective starting areas completely filling the squares thereof. The objects include identifiable sub-groups and a unique object, all of which may be moved along the board in accordance with the rules of the game, which provide that the player whose unique object enters the starting area of the opposite player is the winner.

The attainment of the above and further purposes of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa game constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of the game of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the gameboard with the playing objects removed.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing, there is shown a square gameboard 2 of cardboard or the like and comprising a playing surface 4 that is formed of a multiplicity of similarly sized square areas 6 each of which is relatively small as compared to the total area of the playing surface. For convenience the squares 6 are disposed in a checkerboard pattern of alternating contrasting colors; however, it is within the scope of the invention to have all of the squares 6 of the same color. The playing surface 4 includes a first pair of short opposite parallel edges 8, l and a second pair of short opposite parallel edges l2, 14. The four generally triangular shaped regions between the edges of the board 2 and the playing surface 4 may be ornamented or left plain although they may be integral with the playing surface 4 and together laminated to the gameboard 2.

The playing surface 4 includes three discrete regions 16, 18, 20, the regions 16, being congruent and separated from the central region 18 by divider indicia 22, 22 which may take the form of parallel stripes. These may be of a color that contrasts with the squares so as to be readily seen. It will also be noted that first row 24 of squares in the region 20, namely the row at the edge 8, contains three squares 6, the second row 26 contains five squares, and the third row 28 contains seven squares and borders on the divider 22. A like arrangement is provided with respect to the region 16 and has rows 24, 26, 28 so designated. Instead of making the divider indicia 22, 22 in the form of stripes, the divisions of the regions 16, 20 may be wholly or partially of a color that contrasts with the central region 18.

In the central region 18, the rows 30, 30 adjacent to the borders 22, 22 have nine squares 6 while the three centermost rows 32, 34, 36 of the central region 18 each have eleven squares. As shown, the several rows 24 through 32 are disposed in a pattern that is symmetrical on opposite sides of a line 38, which is parallel to the edges 8, 10 and which may constitute, if desired, a fold line for the gameboard 2. Likewise, the pattern is symmetrical about an imaginary line 40 (or it may be an additional fold line) that is perpendicular to the line 38 and intersects the same at the center of the pattern of the playing surface.

Objects or pieces are disposed for movement along the playing surface 2, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In one form of the invention there are two groups 42, 44 of objects, one group being for each player and being colored or otherwise designated for ready identification. Also in each group 42 or 44, there are sub-groups consisting of a first sub-group 46 of seven similar pieces, a second sub-group 48 of five similar pieces, a third sub-group of two similar pieces and a unique object or piece 52. The various sub-groups may be distinguished as desired, as by ornamentation, configuration, height or a combination thereof. The number of pieces in each group 42 or 44 is equal to the number of squares 6 in each region 16 or 20 so that when the game is set up for playing all of the squares of the regions 16, 20 will be filled.

In playing a game according to the invention, the smaller sub-group pieces 46 are positioned in the rows 28, the sub-group pieces 48 are positioned in the rows 26, the unique pieces 52 are placed in the center squares of the rows 24 and the two pieces of the respective sub-groups 50 are placed in the rows 24 on opposite sides of the associated unique pieces 52. This is shown in FIG. 1. The object or purpose of the game is to have the unique piece 52 enter the starting region 16, 20 of the other player.

Further in accordance with the rules, all pieces may move forward or sideways in their own region 16 or 20, as the case may be. All pieces entering the central area 18 cannot be moved back across their own border 22 into their starting region 16 or 20. Subject to that restriction, the pieces 46 can move forward or backward one square at a time, the pieces 48 can be moved forward or backward one or two squares at a time, while the pieces 50, 52 may be moved one, two, or three squares at a time. The permitted movements described in the previous sentence are also applicable when the pieces are in the region 16 or 20 of the other player. Furthermore, no piece can move to a square occupied by another piece; however, in moving to a vacant square any piece of the other player that is passed over may be removed from the playing area. I

The unique piece 52 is never removed from the playing area or put out of the game. If that piece is passed over by the move of the opponent, the piece 52 is returned to its initial or starting position.

While the foregoing describes one set of playing rules it is evident that various other playing rules may be devised without departing from the scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A game comprising a playing surface having eleven rows, each row being formed by discrete equal areas of similar configuration, the first three rows from each of two opposed margins of the playing surface defining discrete regions, the row of each region adjacent to its associated margin containing three areas, the second of said rows containing five areas and the third of said rows containing seven areas, the rows between said discrete regions forming an additional discrete region having two rows with nine areas each and three rows with eleven areas each, the rows with nine areas being adjacent to the first-mentioned discrete regions respectively and the pattern formed by all of said rows being symmetrical relative to perpendicular imaginary lines intersecting at the center of the pattern and a group of objects for initial disposition in each of the first-mentioned regions, the group in each region including a first sub-group of seven similar objects, a second sub-group of five similar objects, a third subgroup of two similar objects and a single unique object and with the similar objects of each sub-group distinguishable from those of the other sub-groups. 

1. A game comprising a playing surface having eleven rows, each row being formed by discrete equal areas of similar configuration, the first three rows from each of two opposed margins of the playing surface defining discrete regions, the row of each region adjacent to its associated margin containing three areas, the second of said rows containing five areas and the third of said rows containing seven areas, the rows between said discrete regions forming an additional discrete region having two rows with nine areas each and three rows with eleven areas each, the rows with nine areas being adjacent to the first-mentioned discrete regions respectively and the pattern formed by all of said rows being symmetrical relative to perpendicular imaginary lines intersecting at the center of the pattern and a group of objects for initial disposition in each of the first-mentioned regions, the group in each region including a first sub-group of seven similar objects, a second sub-group of five similar objects, a third sub-group of two similar objects and a single unique object and with the similar objects of each sub-group distinguishable from those of the other sub-groups. 